Walter h



(No Model.)

W. H. KNIGHT. ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

Patented Mar. 3,1891.

- WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT E IcE.

WALTER 1-1. KNIGHT, on NEW YORK, i Y.

ELECTRIC RAl LWAY.

SFECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,332, dated March 3, 1891.

Application filed March 13, 1886. Serial No. 195,133. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER H. KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric railways; and it consists in, first, a supplementary frame on; the car or locomotive for supporting the motor and contact device, and, second, various features of construction of a conduit and contact device, whereby several important necessities in the construction and operation of a conduit system of electric railways are met.

It is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the motorsupporting frame and the cleaning device. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively transverse and longitudinal sections illustrating the railway crossing, and Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the support of the motor. I

In Fig. 1, D is a frame of steel or iron, resting directly upon the axles of thewheels and carryingthe motor (shown conventionallyat S) and plow B. D represents the stringer of the car orcab, which is supported by springs S from the frame D The springs are spiral springs placed adjacent to the journals of frame D upon the car-axle, and, as shown, surround guide pins or stirrups extending down from the stringer D of the car-body. The motor is inclosed in a casing D of canvas or like non-resonant material,and the grating above will permit its heat and that of the resistance-box to warm the car when desired; The motor is supported from the truck-frame D by straps or side bars D passing under the motor, as in Fig. 4, and joining the longitudinal bars of the frame. I

lVhen one car is drawing another it has been found desirable that a broom or cleanin g device for the conduit should be supported from the second car, so that the plow carried by the motor-car will not be spattered with mud and slush by the broom. The broom will be a splint broom and will have all the movements which are characteristic of the plow, as is set forth in my patent, No. 338,175, granted March 16, 1886.

The manner of carrying my conduit across a railway-track is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. E is a yoke carrying at its upper edge one of the rails of the railway, and has a transverse opening permitting the passage of the con duit containing the conductors. E isaregular railway-rail. E is a removable special rail bolted to the yoke and interrupted at the slot. The two ends of rail E at the slot are insulated, as shown at E because they extend into the conduit and are likely to come in contact with the plow as it passes through. The slot-rails R R of the conduit are also interrupted at the crossing, so as to receive the special rail E, and thus at the crossing-point ing material E the break being bridged by E. A double contact-plow will then be employed, so that the circuit to the plow will not be interrupted, one plow being on the break at a time. have a shank adapted to go between the two ends of E, and between E and E will beleft a short break for the flange of the car-wheel, so that the plow will not be lifted by the Wheel riding upon its flange in going overE Between the ends of the slot-iron and rail E will be a plate of spring-steel E, which will cover the conduit beneath and at the same The plow and broom will bothtime will be readily depressed by the wheels of passing vehicles on the railway.

\Vhat I claim as my invention isl. The combinatiomivith a carand its wheels, of a supplementary frame journaled on the axles supporting said car through intermediate springs and carrying an electric motor geared to said wheels.

2. The combination, with the axles and wheels of an electrically-propelled vehicle, of a supplementary motor supporting frame journaled on the axles, and the car-body supported from said frame by springs at points adjacent to the journals;

3. The combination, in an electrically-propelled vehicle, of a motor-supporting frame resting directly upon the axles, with the springs adjacent to each axle-box bearing 1 upon said frame and the car-body supported upon said frame through the springs, as described.

4. The combination, in an electric-railway crossing, of a transverse railway track rail having a break for the passage of the contact device, and an electric supply-conductor interrupted mechanically at the point below the break in the said rail,but electrically continuous through the bridging conductor.

5. The combination, in an electric-railway crossing, of an electric supply-conductor interrupted at a point below a transverse railway-track rail, a contact device adapted to travel along said conductor, and an insulated piece in the break adapted to carry over the contact device.

6. The combination, in an electric-railway crossing, of an electric supply conductor, a contact device, a transverse railway-track rail above said conductor interrupted to allow the passage of the contact device, and insulation upon the side of the break, whereby contact between said contact device and the rail is prevented.

7. The combination, with aslotted conduit of an electric railway, of a transverse trackrail E, interrupted at the slot and havingits ends at the opening cut away on the lower edge to permit of a greater thickness of insulation between the ends of the rail and the passing contact-plow.

VALTER ll. KNIGHT.

\Vitnesses:

G. RENAULT, D. L. EARNEs. 

